


Diplomacy Has Seen Better Days

by McKayRulez



Series: <-Sam & Rodney - Geeks in Love - < [12]
Category: Stargate - All Media Types, Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1, Stargate Universe
Genre: Banter, Episode: s02e15 Seizure, Gen, Langara | P2S-4C3 (Stargate), Lucian Alliance, Mostly Gen, Pining Rodney McKay, Post-Season/Series Finale, Prompt Fic, Prompt Fill, Protective Sam, Protectiveness, Shippy Gen, Space Flight, Verbal Humiliation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-07
Updated: 2019-05-07
Packaged: 2020-02-27 14:08:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18740605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/McKayRulez/pseuds/McKayRulez
Summary: The aftermath of the blunder in the ep "Seizure" leaves the Tau'ri in a fight with the Langaran's, whom in retaliation of the Tau'ri's betrayal, joined the Lucian Alliance. After the brutal battle, Colonel Carter finds out the fighting isn't just in the outside of her ship, but also inside, when Colonel Ellis starts a verbal fight with Dr. McKay.





	Diplomacy Has Seen Better Days

**Author's Note:**

  * For [RachaelJurassic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RachaelJurassic/gifts).



> Prompt: Sam stands up for Rodney against Ellis.

After Telford’s team and the Destiny crew used the telecommunication stones to invade Langara’s stargate and use it’s factory to allow the Milky Way to reach Destiny, trust and diplomacy between the Tau’ri and The Langarans came undone, and soon after the Langaran’s joined the Lucian Alliance. 

Tau’ri ships found themselves fighting over the planet, when the Alliance Army gathered.The Hammond and the Apollo faced off against powerful odds, but the two ships managed to cut down the numbers. By the time only the Ha’tak mothership remained, both ships were heavily damaged. The Hammond’s engines were unoperational, and the Apollo’s shield was down and venting oxygen from multiple space exposed decks. 

All around Ellis consoles sparked and exploded on the dark lightless bridge. The Apollo’s weapons were down for the count, and the ship rocked unsteadily, as the ship came under heavy fire, as even the inertial dampeners were also nonfunctioning. 

He looked up at the damaged screen, watching the weapons fire rain down mercilessly, no matter how hard the Apollo tried to move out of the way. 

There was only one thing he could do. 

“Set a new heading.” 

His navigator, Major Mark’s looked up from his piloting, questioningly. “Sir?”

“Head straight for the damn ship.” 

Carter watched from the Hammond’s bridge, as the severely damaged Apollo suddenly stopped it’s swerved maneuver under fire, and began a forward momentum. She knew what they were doing before they did it. “Beam them aboard, now!”

As it’s system’s continued to fail, the Apollo limped forward and slammed itself into the Alliance’s Ha’tak, exploding on impact, taking them both out. 

“Did we get them?” Carter asked warily. 

“Yes, Ma’am.” 

She nodded and looked to one of her crewmen. “Monitor the area for anymore ships.” She tapped her comms to engineering. “McKay, How are the engines coming along?” 

“Thirty minutes.” 

“Understood.” Okay.. They were sitting ducks.. But at least the army was taken care of. Hopefully, if the Alliance had any nearby reinforcements, they would have been there by now, before the fight had ended… Right?... 

\-- 15 minutes later --

Colonel Ellis peered down at McKay with aggravation in his eyes and evident in his tone. “Why aren’t we moving? We need to get back to Command now!”

Rodney finished bypassing the frayed wiring and evaluating the cracked control modules from the console that was connected to operating and giving orders to the engines. He got up from stood under the console and gave Ellis an annoyed look. “I told you thirty minutes!” 

“That was fifteen minutes ago.” 

McKay glanced at the ceiling. “Hmm, let’s see here, does fifteen equal thirty? I’m pretty sure even my young niece knows that answer.” 

“Don’t condescend me, McKay.” 

Rodney looked pointedly at him as he leaned over a console. “Then don’t come here asking stupid questions, while I’m working!” He stopped and added, Actually amend that. Don’t ask me stupid questions ever.”

Carter entered engineering, to see if McKay needed help. She had an uncertain expression, when she saw Ellis leering over McKay. 

“Just get us moving. Now.” Ellis demanded. 

“He’s working on it.” Carter stated defensively, as she went to stand in front of the console McKay was working on. 

Rodney glanced up at her and let out a breath relieved he wasn’t alone with the other Colonel on his back. “I need fifteen more minutes at least.”

“We all know that’s a front.” 

Rodney squinted his eyes and swerved to Ellis offended and confused. “Excuse me?” 

“Sheppard told me all about your tendency to exaggerate the time to make yourself look like a damn hero at the last second.” Ellis drew his face closer to the scientist as he stared him down. “I won’t let you put my crew and Carter’s crew at risk just because of your ego.” 

Rodney turned away from his work and looked up at the man and pointed a finger. “One, Sheppard isn’t a scientist. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about when I find work arounds that I didn’t know were available at the time, until I’d see them for myself, and two, you seriously think I want us stranded out here with certain death on the horizon!?” 

Ellis squared up on the man confrontationally. “I think you’d pull some half baked lie of a last minute fix out of your ass to look good, right as the enemy is on our doorstep.” 

Just as Rodney opened his mouth to retort, Carter glared at the Colonel and ordered, “Enough!” 

Rodney jutted a thumb at him. “He just-” 

“I know.” She stepped up to Ellis, getting between him and McKay. “Colonel, if you think my ship could be fixed faster then why don’t you do it yourself?” She tilted her head accusatory. “You can’t, can you? Because you’re not an engineer. So stop telling my Chief Engineer and Scientist how to do his job.” 

“I’m just looking out for my crew and yours.” Ellis defended. 

“And I’m defending our crew.” Her eyes narrowed. “By telling you to get out of my Engine room and let my scientist fix this ship so we can get to safety.” 

“I was just trying to help.” 

“You want to help? Stop delaying him and being a distraction.” Her eyes softened. “For both our crews sakes.”

He looked reluctant to leave, and his eyes slid to McKay behind Carter. 

Sam shifted her body, so he was out of sight. Her voice became more authoritative and pissed off again. “And one more thing, Colonel. Don’t ever treat my crew like this again. You hear me? This has already been your second offense.” This time she was going to write it up in her report to Jack when they get back. “So don’t cause any more trouble on my ship. Understood?” 

His eyes slid back to her face and he responded reluctantly. “... Understood.”

“Go.”

The Colonel left slowly and Carter turned and looked to McKay, who was staring at her with a soft heartfelt gaze and a small smile. 

“What?” 

“You stood up for me.. Again..” His voice was light and Carter was sure he almost swooned a little. 

“You’re a member of my crew now, Rodney.” Then added with a teasing smirk. “It’s my job to yell at you. No one else's.” 

Rodney’s eyes darkened. “You can yell at me whenever you want.” 

Sam rolled her eyes. “Get back to work.” 

“Aye, aye, Commander.” He smirked, then resumed where he left off. 

She looked down at what he was doing, and felt a pang of longing. She missed work like this. “Do-” 

Rodney glanced up at her quietly. 

Sam cleared her throat. “Do you need any help.” 

Rodney motioned an open hand to the main engines. “By all means.” 

Sam went to the device and lowered her head, peering down at it. 

“You know…” Rodney tilted his head. “If you help me fix this faster, Ellis is just going to say, he was right all along, that I didn’t need fifteen more minutes.”

“Yeah, and if that happens I’ll rip him a new one so hard he won't know what hit him.” 

Rodney shook his head, smirking. He enjoyed his protective Sam. 

A few minutes of hard work later, Rodney broke the silence. “If we make it out of this-” 

“‘When’.” Sam cut in. “When we make it out of this.” 

“Yeah.. When we do…” He looked to Sam quietly for a minute, a question in his eyes. Finally, he spoke, but it wasn’t exactly the question that was truly on his mind, but it was close enough. “Do you want to get dinner together?” 

She glanced from her work at him and regarded his strangely desperate eyes. “Um..” She glanced back at the machine. “Sure.. I guess..” 

Rodney let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. “Good, good..” 

Sam gave herself a small secret smile. “I think they’ll be serving lemon chicken tonight.” 

“Oh.. Ha ha.” Rodney stated sarcastically. Then, after a moment, realization dawned and he smirked. “Guess that means I’m taking you out to eat.” 

“Wait?” Sam frowned confused. “Huh? That’s not what I agreed too.” 

“You already promised. No take backs.” 

“Oh, please. We’re not kindergartners, McKay. Besides, I didn’t promise anything.” 

“Yes.” He raised a finger as he worked, triumphantly. “Yes, you did.” 

Sam sighed. 

Rodney raised an eyebrow at her sigh and glanced at her from his console. “Do you hate me?” 

“What?” Sam squinted confused why he’d ask such a question now. “No?” 

“Oh.” Rodney looked away, sounding dejected. 

“Wait.. Why are you upset that I don’t hate you?” 

“Because, you were more attracted to me when you did.”


End file.
